As digital still cameras and digital video cameras are widely used, the amount of so-called binary data such as still image data, moving image data and audio data, handled for domestic use is dramatically increasing. To effectively utilize these binary data, some search and management methods are required.
For example, one method is using a digital album to arrange digital image data and browse the data. A digital album is an image display which looks like a silver-chloride photo album, having a digital image pasted on a background image called a template.
In use of digital album, image data can be simply arranged, and storage and browsing can be made without consideration of storage space of image data, and further, appearance of browsed images are improved. However, actually, digital albums are not positively utilized for storage and management of digital image data. To generate a digital album, as it is necessary to design the album by e.g. selecting backgrounds of respective digital image data, the works to generate a digital album are complicated and troublesome. As the number of digital images increases, the load of the works increases.
For example, moving image data obtained by image sensing using a digital video camera or the like can be inputted into a personal computer or specialized device and subjected to various processings and editing. Various processings and editing include addition of title, joining moving image data and the like. The moving image data are arranged by the editing, and appearance of moving image data upon browsing is improved.
However, actually, people are not willing to improve an opportunity to edit moving image data since processing/editing of moving image data requires complicated works by using specialized software, and such work becomes heavy load on users. For example, it is troublesome to find necessary moving image data and it requires a skilled technique to rearrange data and process a joint between images.
On the other hand, Japanese Published Examined Patent Application No. Hei 11-234560 proposes a technique of adding meta data to still image data and audio data and utilizing the data for generation of moving image data. However, there is no technique of adding meta data to moving image data itself and utilizing the data for editing the moving image data.